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Hold Anywhere

ByHank Gibson December 21, 2016September 24, 2018

The latest Garmin software version on the Garmin G1000 and Cirrus Perspective by Garmin has a really neat feature.  It gives the pilot the ability to create a hold at any fix, VOR, NDB, or even airport.  If the point is in the GPS database, a hold can be created over it.

How does it work?  Here are the steps.

Let’s say ATC tells you to hold over an intersection on a Victor Airway that you are already on.  Since you are tracking the airway already, the airway should be in your flight plan complete with all the waypoints on it.

Bring up your flight plan and highlight the waypoint to hold at.  Press the menu key.  Using the big knob, scroll down to highlight the hold at waypoint option at the bottom of the bottom of the menu.  Press enter.

Now you can build the hold.  You select what the inbound or outbound course will be.  Select a timed hold or a distance hold.  Then select left or right hand turns.  You can even input your expect further clearance time.  Press enter and now you have a hold as a waypoint in your flight plan.  Assuming you have a WAAS unit, the autopilot will fly the hold for you.

If you are ever told to “Hold Present Position,” Garmin has you covered.  Simply press menu on the flight plan page, scroll down to Hold Present Position, then follow the prompts on the screen to build a hold at your present position.

FltPlan Go

ByHank Gibson August 10, 2016August 27, 2016

I am an iPad user, but I have an Android phone.  I had been using a junky aviation weather app that just gave meters and TAFs, but seemed to have been programmed in a foreign language (un-decoded TAFs notwithstanding).  I wanted something more robust, but didn’t see the need to pay for a Garmin Pilot subscription since Foreflight on my iPad was my main EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) I use in the airplane.

When I upgraded my phone, I decided I had to find something better.  I have a WIFI only iPad, so I utilize my phone to take quick glances at weather reports or when I want to see the radar without having to tether my iPad to my phone.  The app I had wasn’t cutting it.

That’s when I found FltPlan Go.  We are all familiar with FltPlan.com.  It’s what a lot of corporate pilots use to file flight plans.  I’ve used it some, but there is a large amount of data it needs to set up an airplane. Since I already have all the airplanes I need in Foreflight, I don’t use it that much since I didn’t want to do the setup.  It is rather handy as it spits out flight logs and has a lot of pre-loaded performance numbers for different makes and models.

FltPlan Go is FltPlan.com‘s app.  It is very user friendly, easy to use, and, most importantly, free!  You can get METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, Airport Diagrams, approach plates, full weather reports for airports including radar, maps, and a whole lot more.  As far as I can tell, it is a full fledged EFB.  I haven’t really scratched the surface on all the features in using mine, but it is quite robust from the little bit of poking around I’ve done.

I’m still a Foreflight guy, but if you want something else or you have an Android phone and don’t want to pay for Garmin Pilot or WingXPro, check out FltPlan Go.  It’s a winner.

Conroe, TX CPPP

ByHank Gibson August 31, 2016September 15, 2016

The Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program (CPPP) will be coming to the Galaxy FBO at the Lone Star Executive Airport in Conroe, TX again this year.  The dates of the event will be October 14th-16th.

Wondering what the CPPP program is?

“CPPP offers a weekend event for Cirrus owners and their partners that focuses on Cirrus-specific knowledge and flying proficiency.  We bring some of the most experienced flight instructors who regularly teach in all kinds of Cirrus airplanes flown for all kinds of missions.  We have prepared an extensive syllabus of ground courses that complement the transition training and delve into areas of greatest need for Cirrus pilots.” (from CirrusPilots.org)

The weekend starts off with a group dinner on Friday night. The Saturday morning ground session focuses on General Aviation Safety with special focus on the Cirrus accident statistics.  Normal and emergency procedures are also reviewed.

In the afternoon on Saturday, the attendees are split into two groups.  The first group has a myriad of options for ground sessions covering all topics related to Cirrus aircraft and operations.  The second group flies, then they switch for the second 3 hour session.  Sunday brings the same split, with more courses offered and more flying.

While the Cirrus pilots are flying and learning more about their airplanes, CPPP offers a Partner in Command course for flying partners on Saturday.  This allows flying partners to be more comfortable in the airplane and teaches them what to do if something were to happen to the pilot.

All in all, attending a CPPP will improve both Cirrus knowledge and Cirrus flying skills.  It’s highly recommended for all Cirrus pilots.

To register for the CPPP event in Conroe, check out the CPPP website.

New Houston Airspace Procedures

ByHank Gibson May 29, 2014

If you are based in Houston, or heading into or out of the Houston airspace under IFR, have you updated your charts?  If not, you may hear a clearance stating: “N67889, cleared to Amarillo via the BORRN 1 Departure, CRGER Transition, Direct.  Climb via the departure, expect 8000 in 10 minutes.  Departure frequency 123.8, Squawk 3365.”  You manage to get the clearance written down, but have completely messed up the spelling of both BORRN and CRGER, so you have no idea where the intersections are.  After stumbling through a readback, you ask ground to spell the fixes for you.

Then, more bad news.  You haven’t updated your GPS cards yet, so the departure isn’t in your 430.  It’s an RNAV only departure, so you can’t fly it based on the NAV Radio.  You were planning on updating your iPad when you got to Amarillo, so you don’t have the departure on there, either.

This has probably already happened to a few people today already.

Houston airspace got a major overhaul today.  There are 20 new DPs and 29 new STARs guiding IFR traffic into and out of Houston airspace (including one named the DOOBI 1 Arrival, named after the Dooby Brothers band).

The FAA’s goal in all these changes, according to AOPA, is to “bring fuel efficiencies, time efficiencies, and reduce carbon emissions” (from Benet J. Wilson’s May 15th article on AOPA.com).  The FAA issued a NOTAM today valid until June 6th describing what routes for pilots to file.  The NOTAM also contains contingency plans for pilots flying without updated charts (like our example above).

Pilots should expect these wide scale procedure additions and changes to start showing up in other Class B airspace across the country.  As always, make sure those charts are updated, GPS databases are current, and you do some studying of your route before you file your flight plan.

Selecting the Proper Altitude

ByHank Gibson August 28, 2015September 6, 2015

One of the first questions a student pilot asks me when starting the cross country portion of his or her training is, how do I know what altitude is best for my flight?  This is a good question, because without taking certain aspects of the flight into account, it’s really just a crap shoot when selecting an altitude.  Craps and flying don’t mix, so let’s take a look at a few considerations when selecting an altitude.

Sky Coverage

Sky coverage has several subcategories when it comes to selecting an altitude.  First is how high are the bases?  Is it IFR (VFR pilots would be grounded), marginal VFR (1,000 AGL to 3,000 AGL ceiling), or good VFR (above 3,000 AGL ceiling)?  If the cloud deck is only 2,500 feet off the ground, then VFR pilots are limited to either 1,000 AGL to 2,000 AGL.  This is an excellent segue into why VFR pilots shouldn’t scud run!

Second, what kind of cloud deck is it?  Is it an actual ceiling (broken or overcast), or is it a scattered layer?  Few or scattered layers usually allow VFR pilots to find a hole to get higher to some smoother air, making the flight more pleasant.  VFR pilots, always make sure to check the destination weather as it could be scattered where you are departing from, but it might be broken or overcast where you are arriving.

Last, how high are the tops of the clouds?  Pilots can only get this information in the planning stage from the area forecast or from pilot reports, so most of the time, it’s not very precise information.  If the tops are at 10,000 feet and the pilot is flying a 172 on a 30 mile trip, it doesn’t make much sense to get on top of the clouds.

Terrain and Obstacles

Terrain goes hand in hand with sky coverage.  If there are low clouds and high terrain, that doesn’t bode well for trying to stay VFR and not hitting anything.  Obstacles need to be taken into account too, as there are some pretty tall radio towers that can stretch up into a 1,500-2,000 AGL deck of clouds.

Winds Aloft

Once the sky coverage and terrain have been considered, it’s time to look at the winds aloft.  Tailwinds are preferred, but, sometimes, a headwind is the only option.  After taking the clouds and terrain into account, this narrows down your altitude to a handful of options.  The winds aloft will further narrow it down.

Aircraft Performance

Once you have two or three altitudes in mind, taking a look at the performance charts for your airplane will help nail down that final altitude.  Pull out the POH, compare fuel burn and cruise speed, and you’ll have your altitude selected.